Staging for subaqueous operations.



R. A. A. S. PIEROY.

STAGING FOR SUBAQUEOUS OPERATIONS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.29,1912.

Patented Feb. 9, 1915.

THE NORRIS HETERS co., PHOTC'LITHO WASHING TON. D (I.

lUllT A "AT FlFE.

-S'1;AGING FOR SUBAQUEOUS OPERATIONS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

= Patented Feb .9, 1915.

Original application"filed November 27, 1909,.Serial No. 530,173. ,Divided. and this application fi1e6..March p To all whom it may concern Be it known thatI, llonnnrrlnwrn ,An- 7 NOLD S riirnnu Pruner, a subject of His .llfiajesty the King of England, residing at Scrubwood, \Vendover, 1n the county of tion is adivision. In the. specifications of said patent and application I have describedlocomotive stagings of various construction comprisingbroadly two relatively movable members, each carrying a set of supports, whereby either member may sup port the other member which can be moved thereon in any horizontal direction to meet different working positions. Now according to the present invention I provide in conjunction with a main or tool carrying structure, staging or support, with or without spuds, a plurality of other independent structures, supports, or component members each carrying one or more spuds, which are mounted in or on the parts, which combine to form the complete stage, and are combined therewith in such a manner as to be movable in relation to the main stage, and in relation to each other, and so arranged that a minimum number of such members may support the weight of the whole structure while the latter or the others of said members, or both, are being moved in one or the other of several directions. Thus according to design the stage could as hereinafter shown be made to travel in any horizontal direction.

In the accompanying drawings with reference to which my invention is hereinafter described :Figure 1 is a diagrammatic elevation of a staging or support comprising a main or tool-carrying frame and a plurality of independent supporting structures; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof; Fig. 3 shows in plan view a slightly modified construotion, and Fig. 4 shows in side elevation the application of a further slightly modified Seria1 1\To.,687,2 79.

construction, in connection with a pier or staging.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, I employ a main tool-carrying or inner stage a which is supported by means of a plurality of surrounding members or units Z) carrying separate spuds 0 (six being shown in the pres ent instance). These members Z) are movable by means of pairs of upper andlower rollers on side tracks fixed to the outside of, or forming part of the main stage a. The outside corners of the stage a are rounded so as to allow any component b to travel around them. If three or four components 6 are placed in suitable positions they will rigidly support the frame a. The others can then be brought to any desired position for traveling, and the whole stage be moved in directions parallel to either of its sides. Further, if four components Z) are so placed that one is on the curve at each corner of a then the said part a can be rotated or slued and gradually worked around to any desired position. It will be obvious that if desired the frame a may be made circular 1 part a similar to that shown by Figs. 1 and 2, but with straight outer sides, and the inner sides arranged to form a circle. This stage can be made to travel in both directions parallel to the sides in the same way as the stage shown in the previous figures and slued or rotated if supported by three or four components I) mounted on the inside circle. The members 7) and spuds 0 can therefore be moved or translated, with their entire vertical motion mechanism, to any point of the frame or member a.

It is obvious that the shapes and combinations of the component parts can be varied to meet any requirements of travel or relative movements.

Any tools, appliances or constructions, such as submarine diving apparatus, salvage plant, dredging appliances, pumps, boring, drilling and excavating machinery, piledrivers, block-setters, cranes and conveyers can be mounted upon either of the components, if suitably arranged for the purpose. In the case of piers, parts-of the permanent structure such as d can be temporarily used in the place of either one or the other component of the stage as depicted in ire Fig. 4 of the drawings, the locomotive stage a traveling ahead as the permanent Work is executed and completed by its aid; thus some of the component parts I) could be omitted, and their place taken by the last completed portion of the pier under construction, upon Which suitable temporary and removable tracks would be arranged. In this case, it is possible to Work With only four spuds 0, and if the component a is provided With Wide tracks it is quite possible as applied to a pier to obtain any range of movement required by gradually sluing or Working the spuds 0 about. It is also possible to form a stage of a combination of a number of the component parts a and b, Which While connected together to form one complete locomotive, stage, may be combined in such a manner as to be easily separated into tWo or more portions; each portion being either a fixed stage, or in itself a complete locomotive stage. Arrangements of this sort Would be advantageous Where it is desired to increase the range of the Work by temporary sub-division of the stages, or to simplify the travel of a combined stage to the site of the Work and there separate; or to simplify the erection in parts, Which Would be united When requisite for the purpose of the Work. It Will be also understood that the main frame a may support its oWn Weight upon certain of the spuds and that also of all the other components or members I), Which may then all have their spuds a raised and be moved on the main frame at the same time; they the members 6 and spuds 0in turn, all being available for supporting the main frame While that is moved.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A staging or support for the purpose described, comprising a main frame and a plurality of spud-carrying members each mounted with relation to the main frame for translational movement with respect thereto in different directions and constructed to be capable, collectively or in a minimum number less than the whole number, of supporting the Weight of the staging during movement of the parts.

2. A staging or support for the purpose described, comprising an inner or tool-can rying frame of suitable shape, and a pluralit y of members each carrying a spud and mounted on the outside edge of the frame so as to be collectively, or in a minimum number less than the Whole number, capable of supporting the Weight of the main frame or of being supported thereby during movement of the parts.

3. A staging or support for the purpose described, comprising a main frame or ring having inner and outer tracks, a plurality of spud-carrying members constituting a set and mounted on the inner track, and a plurality of spud-carrying members constituting a set and mounted on the outer track, each set being capable of supporting the main frame or of being supported thereby during the movement of the parts.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

ROBERT ALWYN ARNOLD STEPHEN IIERCY.

Vitnesses A. R. SEYDEWEYCH, WM. A. I-IArcooD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patent- Washington, D. G. 

